Aleix Dorca, Ph.D.

Universitat d’Andorra
Plaça de la Germandat, 7
Sant Julià de Lòria, AD600
Principat d’Andorra

Phone: +376 743000
e-mail: admin@aleixdorca.com

Current positions

IT Manager
Manager of the Research Group in Technology
Data Protection Officer

Areas of specialization

GNU/Linux Systems administrator
Network security
Data scientist
Web and Application development

Education

Ph.D. (Identifying users using Keystroke Dynamics and contextual information), Universitat d’Andorra, 2018
Master’s Degree in Data Science, Universitat Oberta de Catalunya, 2024
Master’s Degree in Free Software, Universitat Oberta de Catalunya, 2012
Bachelor’s Degree in Telecommunications Technology, Universitat Oberta de Catalunya, 2010
Master’s Degree in Computer Security, Universitat Oberta de Catalunya, 2007
Course in Linux Systems & Network Administration, Universitat Oberta de Catalunya, 2006
Master’s Degree in Computer Science, Universitat d’Andorra, Universitat Oberta de Catalunya, 2005
Taller d’Emprenedors, Govern d’Andorra & Andbank, 2002
Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science, Universitat d’Andorra, 2002
High School Diploma, Col·legi Sant Ermengol, 1995

Other education (Coursera)

Work experience

IT Manager, Universitat d’Andorra, 2004 - Present
- Duties:
  - Deployment, configuration and maintenance of core and user systems
  - Deployment, configuration and maintenance of server and desktop hardware
  - Deployment, configuration and maintenance of PBX system
  - Provide advice on selection and purchase of IT equipment
  - Maintain maximum availability of services
- Selected achievements:
  - Deployment of a business-critical replicated and scalable SAN and virtualization infrastructure based on open-source tools (Xen, DRBD, open-iscsi, LVM2). Deployment of backup solutions for all virtual machines, services and user data
  - Deployment and support of core business-critical server operating systems, including Debian, Ubuntu and CentOS GNU/Linux, and Microsoft Server
  - Deployment of core network hardware, monitoring tools (nagios with SMS alerts, munin) and managing software. Routers, firewalls, proxies, QoS policies, WiFi Enterprise WPA authentication schemes with Radius servers among others
  - Deployment of enterprise-wide software solutions, including (though not limited to) directory (OpenLDAP, ActiveDirectory), databases (MySQL, PostgreSQL, and Microsoft SQLServer), network basics (DNS with bind, DHCP), file access (samba, vsftpd, nfs, sshfs), web servers (apache, nginx) vpn access (OpenVPN, openswan) and load-balancing solutions for high availability and redundancy environments (haproxy, ha-linux, ipvsadm)
  - Deployment of an all open-source scalable and secure email solution for 10.000 users based on postfix, dovecot, mailman, amavis-ng anti-spam, davical for contacts and calendars and the roundcube IMAP web client. The previous email infrastructure was based on Microsoft Exchange and was successfully replaced with this solution, migrating all accounts, messages and related information
  - Deployment of Internet web sites and online course management software based on Moodle, Wordpress, Joomla, Drupal, Plone, Alfresco among others
  - Deployment of a distributed computing environment for the research department based on software such as Slurm, SGE, Torque or PBS
  - Deployment of a distributed computing environment for the research department based on Hadoop, Yarn, Spark and Hive
  - Deployment of a Virtual Conference Learning environment using tools like OpenMeetings, Jitsi Meet and BigBlueButton used during the COVID-19 pandemic
  - Deployment of a Metabase server to help managers visualize and analyze data for faster decision making
  - Deployment and configuration of Grandstream UCM630x PBX system alongside all softphones and office terminals
  - Deployment of an OpenWebUI/Ollama/StableDiffusion server to provide users at the UdA with a local, open, and privacy focused web based platform to interact with a Generative AI platform.
IT Manager, Observatori de la Sostenibilitat d’Andorra, 2006 - 2014
- Duties:
  - Installation and maintenance of all core and user systems
  - Deployment, configuration and maintenance of server and desktop hardware
  - Providing advice on selection and purchase of IT equipment
  - Maintaining maximum availability of services
- Selected achievements:
  - Deployment and support of core business-critical server operating systems based on Debian GNU/Linux
  - Deployment of enterprise-wide software solutions, including directory (OpenLDAP), databases (MySQL), network basics (DNS with bind, DHCP), file access (vsftpd) and web servers (apache)
  - Deployment of an all open-source scalable and secure email solution based on postfix, dovecot, amavis-ng anti-spam and the roundcube IMAP web client
  - Deployment of Internet web sites based on Joomla and Drupal
  - Deployment of a SSL Certificate Authority
Project Manager, Universitat d’Andorra, 2009 - 2017
- Duties:
  - Installation and maintenance of development environments
  - Ensure software quality, compatibility and reliability
  - Supervise development workflows and strategic decisions
  - Deployment, maintenance and user support of developed applications
- Selected achievements:
  - Development and deployment of the University’s Academic Management solution, based on a LAMP environment with Java components for the data reports (based on JasperServer).
  - Development and deployment of the University’s Financial Management and the University’s Library Management solutions.
IT Support Technician, Universitat d’Andorra, 2003 - 2004
- Duties:
  - Install and maintain the University’s computer systems and network
  - Perform upgrades and install updates
  - Full troubleshooting and computers repairs
  - Assist office staff with computer application questions
Manager of an e-commerce site, 2001 - 2003

Skills

GNU/Linux systems:
- Debian/Ubuntu/CentOS Operating systems
- xen, lvm2, openiscsi, gluster
- OpenLDAP, Shibboleth
- bind, unbound
- MySQL, mariadb, PostgreSQL
- apache, nginx, haproxy, ipvsadm, keepalived, memcached, squid
- PacketFence NAC
- iptables
- freeradius
- postfix, amavis, dovecot, mailman, davical, roundcube, horde
- moodle, wordpress, hugo, plone, joomla, drupal, owncloud, elasticsearch, mahara
- samba, vsftpd
- OpenVPN, openswan
- OpenSSL Certificate Authority
- Nagios, Munin, Suricata
- Jitsi Meet, BigBlueButton, OpenMeetings
- Clonezilla
- Bash, PHP
Microsoft Windows Server systems:
- Active Directory, DNS
- Exchange
- SQL Server
Telephony services:
- Grandstream PBX
Other:
- Lotus Domino
Network hardware administration:
- Cisco/Dell routers & switches
- Mikrotik routers
- Unifi Wireless Network
- Unifi CCTV Cameras
Data science:
- R, Python data development
- Tidyverse, Tidymodels
- Pandas, NumPy, SciPy, scikit-learn
- Metabase
- Hadoop, Yarn, Spark, Hive
- Ollama, OpenWebUI, Automatic1111, Stable Diffusion, LangChain

Research

Manager of the Research Group in Technology at the University of Andorra
Keystroke dynamics research, specialized in Biometrics and Computer security
Member of the research group deploying the first andorran DataHub and OpenData initiative, based on Hadoop, Yarn, Spark, Hive…
Member of the Innovation Group at the Universitat of Andorra
Experience in APM MCU development using DroneKit and Raspberry Pi
Drone flying skills
Member of the Computer Security research group at the Universitat d’Andorra
Selected publications:
- Sau, J., Boada, I., Dorca Josa, A., Sánchez-Pascuala Gómez, L. (2025). Design and Evaluation of a Serious Game on Household Sustainability. In: Schönbohm, A., et al. Games and Learning Alliance. GALA 2024. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol 15348. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-78269-5_14
- Dorca Josa, A., Bleda Bejar, M. (2024). Local LLMs: Safeguarding Data Privacy in the Age of Generative AI. A Case Study at the University of Andorra. In ICERI2024 Proceedings, 17th annual International Conference of Education, Research and Innovation, pages 7879-7888. IATED. https://doi.org/10.21125/iceri.2024.1931
- Bleda Bejar, M., Dorca Josa, A., & Oliveras Prat, B. (2024). Influencia del pensamiento crítico en el uso de los LLM entre los estudiantes de la Universitat d’Andorra. Interdisciplinary Journal of Didactics, (1), 33–54. https://doi.org/10.14198/ijd.28095
- Garcia-Grau F, Herrera-Joancomartí J, Dorca Josa A. Anonymous Access System with Limited Number of Uses in a Trustless Environment. Applied Sciences. 2024; 14(19):8581. https://doi.org/10.3390/app14198581
- Bleda Bejar, M., Dorca Josa, A., and Oliveras Prat, B. (2024). Exploring the Role of Critical Thinking in the Usage of Large Language Models among University of Andorra Students. In EDULEARN2024 Proceedings, 16th International Conference on Education and New Learning Technologies, pages 4538-4546. IATED. https://doi.org/10.21125/edulearn.2024.1128
- Bleda Bejar, M., Dorca Josa, A., and Oliveras Prat, B. (2024). Exploring perceptions and usage of large language models among University of Andorra students. In INTED2024 Proceedings, 18th International Technology, Education and Development Conference, pages 2564–2572. IATED. https://doi.org/10.21125/inted.2024.0713
- Garcia-Grau F, Herrera-Joancomartí J, Dorca Josa A. Attribute Based Pseudonyms: Anonymous and Linkable Scoped Credentials. Mathematics. 2022; 10(15):2548. https://doi.org/10.3390/math10152548.
- Avellanet, Merce MD, PhD; Boada-Pladellorens, Anna MD; Pages, Esther MD, PhD; Dorca, Aleix PhD; Sabria, Betlem PhD; Pfeifer, Michael MD; Gea, Elvira PharmD. A Comparative Study of a Novel Postural Garment Versus Exercise for Women with Nonspecific Cervical Pain: A Randomized Cross-Over Trial. SPINE: November 15, 2021 - Volume 46 - Issue 22 - p 1517-1524. doi: 10.1097/BRS.0000000000004123.
- Mariño-Mesías, R.M., Sabrià-Bernadó, B., Fortó-Areny, J., & Dorca-Josa, A. (2019, November). Study of Customer Satisfaction with The Hotel Sector of The Principality of Andorra Based on The Reviews on Booking. XI International Tourism Congress (ITC), Madeira. This paper was granted an Honorable Mention.
- Dorca-Josa, A., Mariño-Mesías, R.M., Fortó-Areny, J., & Sabrià-Bernadó, B. (2019, October). Analysis of customer satisfaction with the Andorran hotel sector. 5th International Tourism and Hospitality Management Conference (ITHMC), Sarajevo.
- Dorca-Josa, A. (2017). Identifying users using Keystroke Dynamics and contextual information (Doctoral dissertation, Universitat d’Andorra).
- Dorca-Josa, A., Morán-Moreno, J. A., & Santamaría-Pérez, E. (2017). Using Keystroke Dynamics and context features to assess authorship in online learning environments.
- Dorca-Josa, A., Morán-Moreno, J. A., & Santamaría-Pérez, E. (2017). Identificacion de usuarios mediante dinámica de tecleo en entornos de entrada libre usando informacion de contexto. INTED2017 Proceedings, pp. 3167-3176.
- Dorca-Josa, A., Yáñez-Aldecoa, C., Macià, N., & Llorente-Vaquero, V. (2017). Aprèn amb Pitavola: A Contemporaty After-Scholl Program for Awakening STEM Skills. EDULEARN17 Proceedings, pp. 1585-1592.
- Dorca-Josa, A., & Serra-Ruiz, J. (2014). Implementacion de un ataque DoS a redes WPAN 802.15.4.
- Dorca-Josa, A., & Serra-Ruiz, J. (2014). Estudi i atacs a les xarxes ZigBee (Master’s thesis, Universitat Oberta de Catalunya).
- Albós-Raya, A., Dorca-Josa, A., & Ward, A. Signatura digital (2009, Book). Universitat d’Andorra
- Ward, A., Castellà-Roca, J., & Dorca-Josa, A. (2007). Designing a cryptographic scheme for e-surveys in higher-education institutions. In Availability, Reliability and Security, 2007. ARES 2007. The First International Conference on (pp. 1251-1255). IEEE.
- Castella-Roca, J., Herrera-Joancomarti, J., & Dorca-Josa, A. (2006). A secure e-exam management system. In Availability, Reliability and Security, 2006. ARES 2006. The First International Conference on (pp. 8-pp). IEEE.
- Dorca Josa, A. (2005). Esquema criptogràfic per exàmens electrònics segurs (Master’s thesis, Universitat Oberta de Catalunya).

ORCID ID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5749-8319

Teaching

Computer Networks I & II at the Universitat d’Andorra, 2017 - 2021
Using Metabase to visualize and analyze data, 2021
How to use BigBlueButton for online teaching, 2020
How to record, edit and publish your videos with open source software, 2020
Introduction to Computer Networks seminar, 2019
Drones seminar (how to build, operate & program them), 2017
R for Data Scientists, 2016
Introduction to the R Programming Language, 2016
Introduction to LaTeX, 2016
Aprèn amb Pitavola: Bringing STEM skills to kids aged 12-14, 2016
Introduction to the GNU/Linux Operating System, 2016

Languages

Catalan: native language
Spanish: native language
English: fluent (speaking, reading, writing)
French: intermediate (speaking, reading); basic (writing)
Portuguese: basic (reading, speaking, writing)
German: basic (reading, speaking, writing)